


coffeeshop AU - virgiltrent

by Stardust_66



Series: Centre-back and Scouser lad - 466 ficlets [5]
Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, M/M, Meet-Cute, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:20:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25812691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stardust_66/pseuds/Stardust_66
Summary: Trent, 18, works at a coffee shop the summer before university. VVD is 25 and a software engineer who chose Trent's coffee shop as his new office and loves to tease him.
Relationships: Trent Alexander Arnold/Virgil Van Dijk
Series: Centre-back and Scouser lad - 466 ficlets [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1640728
Kudos: 12





	coffeeshop AU - virgiltrent

"Go on then, what are you waiting for, mate?"

"...Nah, this one's shite. I'll do another one."

"C'mon! Now you're just wasting our supplies."

Joe had a point. Trent sighed, put the red mug he was holding carefully aside, and told himself he needed to make the next cup of latte perfect - it was his fourth one in a row. But even though he memorized the steps by heart, and practiced many times the night before, his hands were still not as steady as he'd like them to be.

\- _How long has it been now since the order was placed?_

He thought absentmindedly as he switched on the milk-steaming machine again, realizing it was definitely longer than average.

\- _He's still here, right? He's not gone upset and left has he?_

Trent risked slightly turning his head but couldn't see the man with his peripheral vision. So he had to pretend to look for something on a shelf, and turn 90 degrees around to face Virgil's seat.

He was hoping to catch him concentrating on his laptop, as he has done so many times before: his brows slightly furrowed, gaze intense, lips sometimes mumbling something to himself as he types, a habit Trent finds quite endearing. And he would be sitting up with perfect posture in his usual spot, even though coffee shop tables were not designed for comfort or laptop-using for extended periods.

Out of all the stolen glances Trent cast during his shifts, since Virgil started coming here for coffee almost two weeks ago, Trent has never seen Virgil slouch, not even once. The man carries himself with such dignity and confidence, it is difficult to look away - for Trent, anyway. But even Joe, his textbook straight coworker, admitted he admired their new regular customer, in a no-homo-but-I'd-love-to-be-more-like-him kinda way.

But this time Trent was caught staring, because Virgil happened to look up from his screen, and their eyes met across the small coffee shop.

Trent could feel his cheeks and ears burning, but he couldn't, or didn't, want to break eye contact. He saw Virgil's features soften slightly, his lips curl at one corner into a lopsided smile. Then he pretended to look annoyed, pointed at the nonexistent watch on his veined wrist, and mimed drinking from a cup - with his pinky sticking out too, the cheeky bastard.

Then Trent regained control of himself, and remembered he's the one delaying Virgil's second coffee order here. He felt embarassed and hurriedly turned back to his coffee machine, feeling Virgil's gaze on the side of his face still. Trent cursed his own perfectionism in trying to make a special drink for a very special someone.

**********

Virgil doesn't bother to hide a smirk as he redirected his attention back to his work. He is almost done with debugging, and ready to commit his code. He's looking forward to taking a week off after this big project. He's in a good mood, and doesn't mind that his second cup of coffee from his cute barista boy is slower than usual today. He's already got his morning caffeine fix, and it's not yet 3 in the afternoon.

He just loves teasing Trent - the boy was the main reason he chose to come to this coffee shop daily anyway. But Trent doesn't need to know that, or he'd probably get all smug and even dare to demand extra tips, and Virgil will never hear the end of it.

He smiles as he recalled his first visit to this coffeeshop, when he was new in town and cafe-hopping to find his favourite spot. 

He immediately fell in love with the young man's smile. And even though he had trouble understanding Trent at first, he wanted to tease him and asked for a drink recommendation. When Trent blushed and recommended his own favourite (a really sweet, chocolatey drink), and he ordered an espresso anyway, Virgil secretly enjoyed watching Trent pout while making his order. 

Virgil had his headphones on but wasn't playing anything, so he heard the entire conversation between Joe and Trent, when Joe was trying to tell Trent his recommendation was too childish:

"Why ask me then? If he just wanted an espresso."

"What did you expect, Trent? Your fave is not for _adults_ with sophisticated tastes."

"But it's got _dark_ chocolate!"

"And extra shots of caramel! Mate, he looks like the kind of guy who only drinks his coffee black."

...

Joe brings the special drink, nods in Trent's direction, with a facial expression that seems to convey both boredom, and something like please-have-mercy-and-take-him-away-from-here-mate desperation. Virgil chuckled and said thanks to Joe, who patted him on the shoulder in return.

Virgil was slightly puzzled by Joe's display of affection. Their interactions since he started using this coffee shop as his new office have mainly consisted of Joe shouting "Oi, Trent!" when Virgil shows up to make an order, or him asking about Trent, and Joe answering with a neutral expression.

Then he looked down at the coffee cup placed on his desk.

It was a simple red coffee cup, the shop's standard one. The drink it contains though, brought a smile to his face. On the smooth layer of milk froth is the neatly drawn latte art of a heart, with multiple layers of alternating colours, expanding outwards from the centre. It was also carefully dusted with cocoa powder and vanilla, and looks too pretty to drink. Virgil looked to Trent's direction, and caught his shy smile and averted gaze.

Virgil gently curled the fingers of his right hand around cup, admiring the pattern and breathing in the frangrance of the drink. Then he noticed the paper napkin underneath. The slender writing on it said:

"My shift ends earlier today. Meet me at 4 in the back?"

**********

Trent was walking towards the storage room that doubled as a changing room, taking a deep breath while untying his apron. He was fishing out his phone from his back pocket, and lowered his gaze to check the time, when his forehead bumped into something firm but warm. His head shot up and Virgil was smiling down at him, their faces only inches apart. The room seemed too small now, or maybe it was just because Virgil was such a giant.

"You're late." He said simply, then added, "Joe told me where 'the back' was."

"Umm...? Oh, yeah. Sorry." Trent apologized incoherently. Now where did the verbal communication skills that he's so proud of go?

He focused his eyes on a spot on Virgil's shoulder in front of him. He wrung his hands on the apron he was still holding to his side, while raking his brain for words. When he sneaked a look up, Virgil was still smiling and gazing into him patiently. His smile confident and almost a smirk, silently expressing "I know what you want, but I want to hear you say it."

Trent licked his lips subconsciously, chewing on his bottom lip a little, a habit he has had since childhood, whenever he was anxious, excited, or focused. In his nervous state his ears were drumming, echoing his heartbeat; so he didn't pick up how the man's breathing got a little heavier while watching Trent.

"Alright, um...I..." Trent drew a sharp breath, and ended up licking his lips again.

"Um-hm." Virgil nodded encouragingly, still smirking.

"So y'know how you've been coming here every day, teasing me and all that?"

"Yeah, I was there."

Virgil's breath feels so near, and up close, without the shop register counter as a barrier, his voice sounded deeper and more tender at the same time.

"So I wanna know..." Trent chewed on his bottom lip, "Or, yeah, I want you to know--"

And his voice was cutoff when he found Virgil's lips meeting his, savouring every breath of his confession.

Trent's mouth was already open, and letting Virgil's tongue in after they've thoroughly explored his lips just felt natural and right. Virgil was holding Trent's head and neck with both hands, deepening the kiss. Trent's hands slowly moved onto Virgil's upper back, one hand tracing the back muscles while the other was gliding up the spine.

Trent's legs felt weak - he blamed it on walking around on his feet all day for the barista job, that was the main reason anyway. He couldn't stand up straight and leaned back slightly, bringing Virgil along. The two of them made a thumping noise when Trent's back hit the thin wall behind him.

Virgil moved away, still holding Trent: "Was that what you wanted to tell me?"

"What d'you think?"

"I think......"

Trent felt his heartbeat quicken again.

"......I'd like to know if you are free this Saturday."

"Wha?" Trent was caught off-guard.

Virgil chuckled at the shocked expression on the younger man's face. He said more slowly and solemnly:

"I want to take you out on a date."

"Oh...yeah. Where are we going?"

"We both spend enough time inside coffee shops as is," Virgil was secretly pleased that Trent agreed to the date right away, "So I was thinking...How about a football match?"

He was answered by another excited kiss, the younger man wrapping his arms around his neck, and leaning into the hug.

"Perfect."

**Author's Note:**

> This was from a draft I wrote back in March. It was almost complete but I wasn't happy with the rest of the fic except for the final chapter, posted here.
> 
> Inspired by an 18-yo Trent here (especially at the end of the video - so cute and shy!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpITbbM-sAA


End file.
